Alaska Cruise: Seattle

(Journal entry)
Saturday, June 8- Seattle
I should have washed my hair last night! It took forever to dry with the ships tiny hair dryer! Good thing the only thing we had left to pack was last nights pjs and this mornings toiletries! We headed to the international cafe at 7:15ish for breakfast where we also were able to sign in for our flight. We walked off the ship at 8:00 with our luggage in hand and went to the waiting zone until uncle Lee came to take us to downtown Seattle. (Dad took a cab to Avis, mom stayed with the luggage then after Lee dropped us off he went back for mom and the bags, the ship terminal was about 10 min from the space needle where he dropped us off) We made a consensual decision to not take the ride to the top of the space needle, since it would cost nearly $40 per couple. Instead, we visited the gift shop and visitors center and bought a tram ticket to Pikes Market. It is a fun farmers-market type place where you can but fresh produce, seafood and unique wares. We shopped around for about 30 min before Lee, mom, dad and Shannon showed up. We spent a little more time shopping (buying 20 lbs of Salmon$$$!) then drove over to the Ballard Locks. We took up a lot of time eating at a small fish and chips joint and were only at the locks for about 20 min. We could have spent an entire day there. Oh well, the fish and chips and company were good. Airports are never fun, especially with a headache and sea-legs, but after about an hour of lines we were able to sit until our flight was called. We were about 15 minutes late getting into SLC but Linda picked us up (leaving our kids at her house because of Malia's birthday party) so we went home, picked up ash from cornias then to whites for the boys (Carson was asleep and had a fever 😟) so we stopped at smiths for Tylenol (and milk). We gave the kids their souvenirs then walked up to cornias and gave them some souvenirs too. (Including half of the Alaskan King salmon we bought in Seattle) I left Bj there to go home with sick Carson and was so happy to be home at last. I had an amazing trip but missed my children terribly. I am so glad Katie was so willing to babysit the kids. We felt so good about her and Jeff tending that we were really able to relax and enjoy.

Alaska Cruise: NOT Victoria

(Journal entry)
Friday-June 7: Victoria, ? Dad woke us up first thing this morning to have a "meeting" about tomorrow's disembarkation. Gotta love him for trying, and letting us hive our input, but we all just ended up leaving it to him to figure out. We had a small breakfast at the international cafe then headed to the princess theatre for the Culinary presentation that smelled amazing and was followed by a tour of one of the ships many Galleys. It was massive, and apparently one of the mid-sided ones. We missed the book club, which I was prepared for and excited about, having previously read, "until i say goodbye" as had mom and Carrie, but the culinary show was an acceptable replacement. 😕 Lunch in Portafino's was quick for mom and I because we had an appointment at the Lotus Spa for a back massage, foot massage, and facial. It felt amazing. It was an hour long and I could have stayed for 8! During our spa treatment the guys took care of our disembarkation details and Bj and I headed to sight see and watch Safe Haven (after stopping for some snacks, shakes and drinks, of course) we both fell asleep (Carrie has proof with a picture) but it was a beautiful sunny day. The movie was on the "theatre under the stars" jumbotron that hangs above the lido pool and is surrounded by lounge chairs. We found a cozy upper deck in the welcoming sunlight and fell asleep under the cover of polarized lenses. We woke up in time for dinner and enjoyed our last meal on the ship.In addition to my entree I ordered a plate of cooked veggies. It was probably the culinary hi-light of my trip. They were perfectly prepared. Had I known, it would have been a nightly regular. During dinner the captain announced through a hushed ship that one of the thrusters was malfunctioning and we would not be able to dock in Victoria so we would be using the rescue boats to shuttle passengers to the city. We were a little put-off but still satisfied and went on with our meal. After about 10 minutes the captain came back on and said because of the thrusters and Canadian custom issues we would not be allowed to tour Victoria. I was probably the least disappointed member of our group and I was pretty bummed. It was a depressing end to our trip. After dinner we went to take some pictures of the city we never toured then made our way to the-quickly-thrown-together-show-to-appease-upset-passengers show. It was good. Though, not quite a sufficient replacement for missing the opportunity to tour Canada for 4 hours. It was dusk when the show ended so after a few pictures we went to listen to our favorite pianist and sip some strawberry daiquiri's (that our waiter went above and beyond to have made for us!) we went back to our room and packed the last of our things so we shouldn't have to get up too early then hit the sack.

Alaska Cruise: Ketchican

(Journal entry)
Thursday June 6- Ketchikan
I have really been looking forward to today. When the ship pulled in to port we were nearly the first ones off the ship. The town was literally on the docks. It was much more populated than Skagway with a lot more to see right off the ship. From the beginning, Bj and I decided it would be out shopping port and we spent a pretty penny getting things for our kids and family. We only had about 4 hours in town so we had to be done pretty quick. Ketchikan was absolutely beautiful. It's one place that I would not mind seeing without giant ships clogging up the view. They had winding floral paths with custom wildlife themed benches. They had more unique vendors than any other place, and it was very convenient that it literally took 2 minutes to get to the first shop once we were off the ship. BJS favorite thing is its where he finally found his fishing hat! He looked for one at every port and had high hopes for this one and it didn't disappoint. Before we went to meet the family we laid out our wares, like kids on christmas morning, so everyone could see! Our last formal dinner with warren was fun and delicious. It was Lobster night. Bj was in heaven. Poor John was feeling too sick to eat, Bj helped him out by eating his lobster for him. He's so thoughtful. 😏 For dessert the dining staff turned off the lights in the restaurant for the "parade of baked Alaska" which was a couple dozen servers carrying prepared desserts topped with a bulb candle while the guests clapped and cheered. The lights went back on and everyone was served the traditional dessert. After a quick change we headed to the comedian, Darrell Joyce with Brooke and Paul (thinking everyone else was joining us, but they went to the "British Invasion" show first, then to the comedian...). He had new material but the funniest part was when he was talking about the newly-weds on the ship and how they were learning all sorts of things about eachother, especially their sleeping sounds and wanting to quiet the partner by means of smothering them with a pillow. That totally hit home. We laughed so hard! Next we went to the "British invasion" show that was a series of songs composed or sung by British composers. It was good. There are some talented people on the Princess staff. Ill bet the first show was more entertaining, because dad and mom knew a lot of the songs. Oh well, we just sat back and relaxed while we waited for the waiter to serve us our drinks. We paused for a bit in the piano bar to listen again to Tom. He had the audience shout out some songs and he wrote them on a list then arranged them in a medley. What skill!! We headed to our room and watched a bit of a movie before zonking.

Alaska Cruise: Tracy Arm Fjord

(Journal entry)
Wednesday, June 5: Tracy Arm
We planned on sleeping in and ordering room service, but Bj didn't sleep well and ended getting up and ready around 7 which made me get up too. Todays destination is Tracy Arm Fjord "cruising". After I got ready I spent quite a while searching for him. I ended up in my parents room watching the breathtaking scenery pass by. I went for a second search for Bj and found him on the promenade deck right on the bow watching the same amazing scenes. There were towering cliffs with dozens of cascading and streaming waterfalls emptying into the ocean. When we arrived at the glacier, it was absolutely incredible. There was so much to see; the iceberg its self was totally stare-worthy, seals sunning on ice, a seal giving birth, an eagle eating the afterbirth, and even more of the previous waterfalls and lush rain forestation. It was seriously the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. We spent most of the day with binoculars glued to our eyes. The hard thing about today's sightseeing day was how surprisingly exhausting it was! Watching all that nature happen wore me out! Anyway, we met up with the family for dinner. Warren, our server, does such a great job and we really look forward to out dinner reservation. After dinner we went to a comedian show who had us in tears. He made a crack about old men being able to get away with wearing mismatched clothes and we all, sitting on the front row, immediately thought of dads formal night outfit of a blue shirt, red/white and blue tie, white dinner jacket and salmon colored pants. We couldn't contain out laughter and I even pointed at dad to which the comedian caught and responded, "stop pointing at him, you aren't allowed to say anything, he probably paid for your cruise!" That really set us off. We laughed ourselves in pain! Then he commented on couples and saw Carrie affirming his joke with a laugh and a nod and he said to her, "what are you laughing about, you don't know, what are you...15?" He was so funny, and refreshingly clean! Some of us weren't quite ready for bed so we found an off beat table and played a round of hand and foot before we called it a night. Apparently Rich and KJ were entertaining the masses in the Piazza with their dance moves. The video Carrie showed us was hilarious! People were high-fiving Rich as we walked around the next day.

Alaska Cruise: Skagway

(Journal Entry)
Tuesday, June 4th- Skagway
This morning, Bj got up really early so he could go fishing with the boys and Brooke. I left an hour later and met up with mom, Carrie and Kj for breakfast where we decided what to do for the day. We headed into Skagway to find the car rental place so we could sightsee through the warm confines of a vehicle. Avis wasn't where we thought so it took us longer to find (going through a town full of stores is bound to slow us down a bit). At the rental place we realized that getting into Canada could be a problem because it was only 6 miles up the canyon. So we called US and Canada customs and asked if a birth certificate and drivers license would suffice. They said yes, but then I realized I lost my ship ID card (which also acts as an on-board credit card, yikes). Carrie and i were both a little hesitant to go on a road trip, thinking it was a little more trouble than it was worth, and loosing my ID was the straw that broke the camels back. So Kj rented the car, dropped Carrie and I off so I could get a new card and she and mom left for their adventure (where they saw a momma and baby bear!) while Carrie and I had one of our own in downtown Skagway. Getting a new card was no problem and we had to be back for our zip line excursion at 3:00. We went shopping in a few shops before Bj called letting me know they were on their way back from fishing (not even a bite:() and I told him we'd meet them at the ship for lunch. After lunch we went back to town and made a few souvenir purchases. At three we were back at the ship and signing waivers before we headed up the canyon to the zip-line camp. It was a blast. Our family took up ten of the 14 available slots and the other two couples in the group were great. There were about 4 guides who got us harnessed and fitted for helmets then took us up the hill to a three part ropes course. The first one was a suspended wooden bridge with missing planks. The second was a rope bridge with ropes looped down instead of planks to step on. The third was a combination of the two resembling a suspended balance beam. We all made it through pretty easily, mom was really quite terrified but made it through with a smile! Then up higher we tromped to the beginning of a series of zip lines. There were 6 in all, varying in length and degree. We were there three hours. It may have been the high for the day. What a blast!!! We got back a half hour late for our dinner reservation but were still able to enjoy "Italian night". After dinner We listened to the talented pianist, Tom Franek, and went for a walk around the promenade then a few of us went to play hand and foot while others went to sleep. I turned in early at 10:30.

Alaska Cruise: Juneau

(Journal Entry)
Monday, June 3- Juneau
Happy birthday Rich!! Switching to Anchorage time gave us an extra hour of sleep! We started off on the promenade deck watching a pod(?) of dolphins swim pass the ship as we pulled into Alaska's Juneau channel. It was a breathtaking sight. The sun was on the starboard side warming our faces as we saw the lush landscapes, sheer mountains and streaming waterfalls. We ate breakfast in the portafino dining room and sang "we wish you a happy birthday" (and a wonderful cruise) to rich. He turns 37 today! After breakfast we gathered our day-packs and headed to the gangplank to wait to disembark for the day. After we got off we picked up our fifteen passenger van and headed up to the Mendenhall Glacier. Amazing. We hiked along the nugget trail and Bj even saw a glacier piece that he lifted out of the water. Most of us held it and got a picture. Then we headed to try and find some eagles but ended up at "the shrine of st Theresa". It was so beautiful. It was a small peninsula with a quaint rock chapel nestled in a grove of a coniferous canopy. Everyone was getting hungry so we decided to eat before we went any further. We stopped at the "sand-bar" which is, indeed, a bar... With extremely overpriced food, but really REALLY good fish and chips. The dive came recommended by a local we met who was re-directing traffic away from a mountain being blasted for construction. Bobby Sosa. Don't know why I remember his name. He was actually really funny. He was wearing a coat he was planning on returning, hence the tag still attached. Anyway. After the yummy snack (everyone just split an order since dinner was in two hours) we went to Juneau to shop the tourist traps. We had time to find a parking spot, find a bathroom and go through one large shop before we had to get back for dinner. Dinner was great, as usual, during which i snuck out to use the bathroom and was sidetracked by a goodnight call with my kiddos! it was so great to hear from them! they seem to be having such a great time! aj got to go to his urban showcase and it was attended by Grandma and Grandpa white! Ashlyn won the math-bee in school today, and all carson really had to say after he told me a million times that he loved me, was how he had such great behavior in school. :) After dinner was hot-tubbing (which was probably my favorite moment of the day: after we got out and i was standing with bj, we looked at the lush, green mountainside which seemed to spill right into the boat while light whisps of clouds clung to the chilly alaskan air. It took my breath away. Then on to Karaoke where rich and Paul attempted "friends in low places" by Garth Brooks, terribly, but with their usual humor and sarcastic flair. A last request by rich, to stretch out his special day, was a turn in the night-club where we hopped around on the dance floor causing a scene of gaiety and youth. Bj, John, mom and dad opted out and turned in for the night but the rest of us shared the dance floor with some Tennessee senior citizens and a creepy lone wolf. Now with a days worth of diet coke slowly fading out of my system and a clock already welcoming morning, I will try and sleep in the rock hard bed next to my amazing (snoring) sweetheart!

Alaska Cruise: At Sea

(Journal Entry)
Sunday, June 2 2013 -at sea
Sleeping on a boat... Not the best. Sleeping on a cruise ship... Great! (Except we have a pretty hard bed)
We started off in mom and dads bedroom as we met-up for breakfast. With half of us there we headed to the Lido deck for their breakfast buffet (leaving a note for the other half to meet us there). After breakfast we ... Did something...??? After that we went and watched some of the crew make edible arrangements out of fresh fruits and vegetables. They were so cool! they made fish in the sea, eagles, owls, all sorts of cool things! Then went on a treasure hunt for a chance to win something in a drawing. Although we didn't win anything it was a good opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the ship. It's crazy to think about how tall this floating vessel is. Lunch was the grill and buffet while a few from our party decided they'd rather sleep than eat... We never have that problem. But I did relax while we watched "Back to the future" in the open Lido-deck theater. It was quite chilly but relaxing nonetheless. I have loved being at sea! I could just watch the water all day. Tonight was formal night. We got gussied up and headed to the Amalfi restaurant for dinner. Delicious as always, but the tri-tip was the winner for the evening. That and the French onion soup. After stuffing in a bit of dessert we sauntered to the lounge where there was a ventriloquist show. It was so fun to see!! What skill! Since we were all dressed to the nines, we took the opportunity to capture the moment with some photographs. Then, once again, our group divided. One going to bed, the other back up to Lido to fall asleep to a movie. Oz the Great and Powerful is one I've wanted to see, but ill have to rent it because my eyelids won the fight and we headed to bed :) now I hope sleep comes easy, Bj is snoring next to me and my eyes keep crossing as I stare at my journal entry trying to recall my day. I really miss my kids. I didn't email or anything today. Being on international waters I didn't want to be Charged a ridiculous amount. Maybe tomorrow night ill be able to FaceTime them from Juneau.

Alaska Cruise: Seattle

(Journal entry)
Saturday, June 1 2013- Seattle, Embarkation.
After getting to bed late... Or early, as it was, (thanks to a late night showing of "Now You See Me" with Nate and Michelle) I woke up to the sound of BJS alarm. Too excited to sleep, but still tired, I lay waiting for the sound of the shower to turn off before I took my turn. It went off a little too fast for a thorough shower and he came out wearing a towel and still completely dry. "Our water isn't getting hot.", he said, on his way out of the bedroom as he headed to check the water heater. I heard muffled sounds for about 20 minutes. All I could think of was how I wished I had cleaned my basement before we went on our cruise. SO annoying. Apparently, our water heater was broken. Bj called his dad and said he'd come over when he got off work to take care of it. Sweet. After a cold shower for Bj, and a sponge bath for me, we tossed the last few items into our luggage as Linda pulled into our driveway. The flight to Seattle was so smooth and sickness-free, thanks to "wrist bands" and/or a little over the counter assistance... The time literally flew. :) even luggage pick up was a breeze! EVERYONE we traveled with made it through security unmolested and had all their baggage! The best part was, dad and mom were there with lee to take us to our ship! Well, mom wasn't there, she had to pee, but came out running and waving! I was so excited to see them! A quick (40min) ride to the cruise pier, fourteen long lines, and we finally made it on our ship! First things first: locate rooms. More like closets. It is the smallest room I've ever been in. But it looks bigger because of all the mirrors. After we saw the room, we went to the lunch buffet and ate. And ate. Then we got ice cream and shakes, then sodas to take with us as we walked and familiarized ourselves. I think by the time we know where everything is and how to get there it will be time to go home! The ship is really amazing. Then we did a life-jacket emergency training, lame, but they did their best. Bj and i had fun exploring the ship and watching the Seattle sound as we passed through. It was fun when i saw a camera and asked the cameraman to point it at brooke and paul while they were sunning by the pool and broadcast them on the jumbotron! At dinner we all sat together. Everyone loved their food, and ordered a LOT! We went to see a juggler, Matt Henry, but ended up at a cruise ship education event. The juggler was good but his portion of the entertainment was SOOO FAST!! More walking around then 45 minutes chatting with a lying stranger. We'll have one more mocktail (no-alcohol) and hit the hay! What an awesome first day. I am definitely hooked on cruising. Can't wait to see what tomorrow (open sea all day) has in store!?

Alaska, part 1

Going? GOing! GONE!!!
My parents host a monthly "Sunday meeting" where we get of ether at their house, eat, then have a special lesson prepared by one of the adults based on a rotation. At our April meeting (end of April) mom nonchalantly mentioned using her inheritance to take her grown children and their spouses (or almost-spouses;) on an Alaskan cruise.
WWWWHHHHHAAAAAATTTTTT???
Yes. An Alaskan cruise. My número uno choice as far as dream cruising destinations. My heart was beating so fast as I flipped through my calendar to see if it was even possible. Mom said she had to check into a few things and she'd let is know.
As an "emotionally protective method" I put it in the back of my head and promised myself not to think about it until mom finished her checking. A few days later, I was at a ward service project and got a text from her with the dates of the 7 day cruise and a request for confirmation. I couldn't hide my excitement from my friend Katie and when she heard the destination she said, "You HAVE to go! We will babysit your kids!"
WWWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTT???
I was still trying to figure out if I could take a week off work and if it would work with BJS schedule when I met up with Katie and Jeff later that night for ice cream and she said, "I told Jeff about the cruise and he's excited to watch your kids too!"
WWWHHHHAAAATTTT??!!!?!?!?!
So, thanks to Katie & Jeff and their family, my boss, BJS schedule, my parents and grandma.... We could start planning our Alaskan Cruise!... That was in a month.
First, international travel documents were purchased and set aside.
Next: we had to book a flight to Seattle. Thanks to Vanessa (my friend & SWA flight attendant)we got 20% off our flight.
Planning excursions was exhausting because there were so many options (and so much $$$!)
I kept wanting to pack my outfits but couldn't really do it lest I walk around in sweats for the month. So to appease my pre-organizing tendencies I took pictures of "alaska outfits" and made lots of lists.
One fun packing was something my mom did whenever she took a big trip; daily presents for the kids. I found cheap little things that I could give our kids & Jeff and Katie's kids as a way to keep in touch while we were gone. When it was finally close enough to pack and really get ready Katie asked if she could take our kids a day early and take them to their cabin.
WWWHHHHAAAATTTT???!?!?!
I felt a little guilty sending them a day longer than the already Saturday to Saturday, but we knew they would have so much fun and it would be good to spend some fun time together since they would be at school for a big part of their time together.
So Friday, May 30 2013 we said goodbye to our kids and THANK YOU to the adventurous Cornia family.
Saturday morning, Linda (BJS mom) came and picked us up and took us to the airport. We arrived in Seattle around noon where Mom, Dad and uncle Lee were waiting to pick us up and take us to the cruise terminal. Us:Me and Bj, Rich & Carrie, John & Kj, Paul & Brooke (we were all on the same flight!) The process of getting on the ship was a very practiced and thorough process. Time consuming, yes... Thousands of people and all their luggage is bound to take a little time... But with all the excitement, time flew and before we knew it we had checked out our cabin and were heading to the lunch buffet.
Bj and I finished our lunch('s)and went back to our room to unpack. We took a slow self-guided touring our ship, "Star Princess" and took a few pictures as we departed Seattle.